Overwatch - Never Too Late
by goldenEY3
Summary: Overwatch returns to active duty. Jack Morrison/Soldier: 76 believes that he's run out of third chances, never mind seconds. But when Ana Amari, the woman he's always loved from a distance, seemingly returns from the dead, he tries to follow through on a promise he made to himself years ago.
1. Chapter 1

**Present**

Overwatch hadn't been together for more than a week and I was already being thrown into the shit.

"'It'll be easy, Jack. Just take out a Talon shipment,' they said," I grumbled. Bullets flew over the wall I took cover behind, smacking into the brick wall behind me. Bits of shrapnel bounced off my jacket and armor; a few cut me. "'It'll be easy,' they said."

This 'easy' assignment was supposed to have less than ten Talon operatives. I ran into nearly twenty. Serves me right for being the first one to jump at Winston's recall order.

There was a lull in the gunfire. I popped out of cover, eying everything in a second. Three Talon men were in the open, reloading. Must be new to the job; they were easy. After finishing them, I had half a mag left, and I couldn't be pinned down, so I sprinted across the street. Bullets whizzed over my shoulder. Too damn lucky.

"Dammit, Winston, couldn't you have at given me _someone?_ " I growled, sliding into cover behind a building. No, that wasn't fair. Winston put out the call-to-arms only a few days ago; everyone else had lives they were going about. Not everyone was spending every waking moment trying to find out who killed Overwatch, like me.

"Yea, just the old man who can't let things go."

A small team of Talon men rounded the corner. A quick rocket blast took care of them. Then it was moving again. That's the thing about being outnumbered; you could never stay still. Stand around with a thumb up your ass, you'll get surrounded.

Running down the street made me realize just how empty this little town became. Gunfire tended to do that, but seeing it empty out in mere minutes was always a little disconcerting. But I was glad that the civilians were able to get away. Bad enough that Talon was causing trouble in the world, but I'm not sure I could live with myself if any other innocent bystander lost their life. Too many were already hurt from Overwatch being dead.

Shit, maybe I didn't give Talon enough credit. I was barely halfway down the block when another team rounded a corner. Rockets were still reloading, so I took a quick pot shot at 'em, just to get them to jump back into cover around the corner. Their instincts and their reactions were good; only put a few rounds downrange before they jumped back. That gave me a second.

I shot out a window and threw myself through it, just as the Talon guys opened fire en masse.

"Lucky, old man. Just got lucky."

Dammit, I could use some help right about now.

If there was a team behind me, and a team ahead of me, that meant that there had to be a team coming in from the sides. My luck held out; the rockets on my rifle were good to go.

Turns out the window I shot up was for a small corner shop; I ran through the aisles, looking for a back door leading to an alley. Finding it, I kicked it with all my might, expecting to walk into the next Talon group.

Well, I was kinda right. The door flew open, knocking one Talon guy flat on his ass; he was the middle guy in the group. I used my rockets to blast the point man and his buddy off the face of the earth, and emptied my mag into the door. When it clicked on empty, I peered around the door. Just as I suspected, the rest of the Talon assholes were cut down.

"Well, I guess luck ain't that bad."

Let's see, if there were almost twenty, and I took out three teams of four, shit, I was more than halfway through 'em. That meant two or three full teams left.

"Let's see who's up to the task of putting me down."

If they were any smart, both teams would charge down the alley. I hid in the shop, waiting for the rockets to reload. Didn't take long until I heard boots on the ground. Sure enough, two teams ran passed the door, six men in total. A target rich environment; just the way I liked it.

"I got you in my sights."

They didn't even stand a chance. A few of them got shots off, but they were all cut down. I turned, spitting the empty mag out, and saw one more Talon asshole at the head of the alley.

He must've been point man for the last group or so. Shit, I was dead to rights.

There was a crack, and he fell down like a puppet with cut strings. I recognized sniper fire when I saw it, but I thought I was the only Overwatch agent in the area.

Judging from the angle of the shot, and how the Talon asshole fell, the sniper was somewhere ahead of me; possibly in a four-story building a couple blocks down. I slapped a fresh mag in my pulse rifle and gave my mysterious guardian angel a crisp salute. It was just good manners.

"—sniper in the AO," a radio crackled. It was coming from one of the Talon guys I gunned down. "Got a view of the muzzle flash. Target is in a four story building, tan, say again, four story building, tan."

Shit.

"Backup, converge on sniper, deny it to Overwatch."

Shit, shit, shit.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

I sprinted down the alley, taking only a few seconds to make sure I wasn't walking into an ambush. The damn guardian angel wasn't careful enough; either that, or Talon got fucking lucky. Don't care who's pulling the trigger up there, I won't let them die on account of me.

Getting old sucks. I was almost out of breath by the time I got to the tan building. Back in my day, that wouldn't have even winded me.

I swept the street, looking for targets. I found two Talon groups entering the building. I was able to take two guy out, but the rest of them jumped into cover. A quick barrage of rockets kept their heads pinned, and I sprinted across the street, shooting out a window and jumping into the building.

They were a couple of rooms to the left of me. I slapped a fresh mag in, and carefully walked down the hallway. Two guys were in the atrium of the building, looked like a simple office place, so they were the first to die. The other team was moving up behind them; they must be the last ones.

Shit, and I only had half a mag. Rockets were still reloading, too.

I threw myself to the ground to make myself a smaller target, and let them have it. I aimed as best I could, but one guy was left standing.

I always told myself I'd never be the guy who pulls the trigger on an empty gun, but I was good at breaking promises to myself. I ended up pulling the trigger a couple of times, but the damn thing only clicked on empty. The Talon guy actually laughed; I didn't blame him, I'd laugh to. What a fucking cliché.

He took his time bringing his weapon up. What's the rush? It's just an old guy trying to reload as fast as he could. He had all the time in the world.

Just when I thought he was going to finally going to end this whole farce, there was a little pop, and the Talon guy jerked. He pulled a little dart out of his neck, then hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. He was snoozing before he hit the floor. I racked the bolt on my rifle and made sure he never woke up.

Guess I owe my guardian angel another favor.

I picked myself up from the ground, dusting myself off as best I could.

"Thanks for the assist—"

I didn't have a guardian angel; I had a ghost.

She was walking down the stairs, dressed in what looked like an old, dusty Overwatch jacket; it had seen much better days. But her armor and breastplate looked new, or at least well maintained. She didn't have her long black hair; it must've went gray a long time ago. And she had a rifle draped in her arms, and her tattoo…she still had that tattoo under her left eye. She had a small sidearm in her hand, the one that shot the dart at that Talon guy.

What happened to her? God, she was still beautiful.

"Is that you, Jack?" She said, a smile on her lips. I had to look her over three or four times before I realized that she wore an eye patch over her right eye.

"Ana? Ana Amari? You…you're supposed to be dead."

"Good for you that I'm not," she smiled.

A lifetime of regret hit me.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Lifetime Ago**

A massive assault helicopter dipped, and landed. Its sides were pocket marked with bullet holes from small arms fire, but they seemed to avoided the massive, radiant Overwatch stencil that was painted on the side. It touched down, and before any of the deck crew could attend to the bird, a massive armored figure leapt from the equally massive chopper.

"Another day, another victory!" Reinhardt Wilhelm roared, pulling off his helmet. His massive Crusader armor no longer shone like new chrome, but was dented, battered and covered in grime. It didn't seem to damper the mood of the massive man who wore it. "The world is a safer place from the Omnic Threat!"

"Yea, and you never left any for us, big guy," Gabriel Reyes said, following the massive German. "It ain't no fun if you hog all the glory."

"Cool it, Gab," Jack Morrison said. "This was a sneak attack that bypassed all our threat assessments; we're lucky we got there in time."

"We are lucky that the Omnics moved too fast for their own good," Ana Amari sighed, stepping onto the tarmac of the landing pad. She took a moment to collect her hair in a ponytail. She never noticed Jack's gaze linger on her. "If they were any more careful, this would have been a horrible battle, with heavy civilian casualties. We are also lucky our little angel is so gifted."

"Please, I am just here to help," Angela Ziegler smiled. "War is such a bloody business; no one should suffer."

"Only ones who should suffer are those damn tin cans, am I right, eh?" Gabriel roared.

"Gab, we appreciate you jumping in to round out the team, but the battle is over."

"Don't give me that shit, Jack, those damn tin cans somehow bypassed damn near every early-warning system we had in place," Gabriel said, turning deadly serious. "They could have done major damage to the city. A city which had minimal defensive forces, too!"

"The loss of life would have been…terrible," Angela said.

"Are you well, Angela?" Ana asked.

"No. This is only my third mission, ja?" The little nurse wrung her shaking hands. "I haven't been so scared in such a long time."

"It'll be fine, Angela," Jack said. "I enlisted when I was your age; I know how bad it can be. The first few battles are always the worst, but trust me, you'll get better."

"Yes, don't you worry, we are all here for you," Reinhardt boomed, making sure he patted her back instead of slapping it. "And with me as your shield, no harm will come to you!"

"Thank you," she smiled. She was still scared, but she knew her team, her friends, were there for her. "I…I just need to grow accustomed to it, I guess."

"You'll get there in no time," Jack promised. "You just need some experience. Next thing, it'll be old hat."

"'An old hat?'" Both Ana and Angela asked.

"Sorry, old saying from back home," Jack said. "It means old fashioned, or an old trick. You know, something you're used to."

"Aah, I see," Angela said. "Yes, it is a _new hat_ right now, don't you think?"

"Our little girl has slang down to a science," Gabriel laughed.

"If I may, Angela?" Ana said. "It might be good to spend time around friends after fights like this. It will help you relax, to get over the battle."

"Yes, a good group of friends can help you unwind after big battle," Reinhardt grinned. "And big battle makes for a big appetite! Come, to the kitchen!"

"How is it that you unwind after battle, Ana?" Angela asked.

"Mother!"

"I have my ways," Ana smiled.

"Mother!" Fareeha ran out of the hanger, hitting Ana nearly full force. But Ana was ready, and knelt down to brace herself. "I was so scared, are you hurt?"

"Of course not, my little Fareeha. The Omnics never drew a bead on me," she smiled. "I'm more concerned about you. A growing girl like yourself, in a military base? Were you okay?"

"I'm fine, mother," Fareeha said. Her tone switched from worry to annoyance the way only a young teenager was capable of doing. "The soldiers here are nice. But this happened so quickly, I was so worried…"

"Do not worry, little one," Reinhardt said. " _No one_ will get through my shield. I will hold them all at bay, and your mother will remain safe!"

"Thank you, Mr. Reinhardt," Fareeha said. "Can we finish our game-? Who are you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm new," Angela smiled. It was the kind of smile that lit up a room. "My name is Angela."

"I'm Fareeha," she said, blushing minutely. "I didn't know my mother worked with an angel."

"Ha! An angel indeed!" Reinhardt laughed. "She takes care of all of us, just like your mother!"

"Do you like it?" Angela smiled. She triggered the wings of her Valkyrie suit, making them spread and shine.

"They're beautiful," Fareeha gaped.

"Thank you," Angela smiled.

"Angela here is a great addition to the team," Jack said. "Like your mother, she protects others."

"Now, what about we finish this game that was so rudely interrupted?" Ana said. "With the Omnics defeated, we should have time now."

"What game were you playing?" Angela asked.

"Rat slap!" Fareeha said.

"I have never heard of it."

"It's so much fun!" The girl smiled. "Mother, can we teach the angel how to play?"

"Oh, I couldn't interfere," Angela politely said.

"Nonsense, it is an easy game to learn," Ana said. "Besides, it is a game for the young. You need to be fast at it; just don't get offended if you get your hand slapped."

"Come on, it's fun!" Fareeha said.

"Well, I do like learning new games," Angela said. "Is there anyone else who doesn't know how to play? I would feel better if I was not the only new player."

Jack jumped as Gabriel slyly elbowed him in the side.

"But after battle, the best thing to do is eat, get your energy back," Reinhardt said. "And the food here is excellent."

"I'm with big man, killing tin cans gives me an appetite," Gabriel said.

"I…I better talk to Torbjörn," Jack stammered. "If the Omnics slipped past our early warning systems, we'll need to re-adjust our defense lines and planning."

"Don't worry, angel, I'll go easy on you," Fareeha grinned.

"Don't believe her for a second," Ana laughed. "She is devilish at the game."

"Mother! I promise, I'll go easy on you, Angela."

"Thank you," Angela laughed. "Very well, let's see how this game is played. But if this little cutie is lying to me…"

"Come, Gabriel, I can almost smell the food from here," Reinhardt boomed.

"Give me a minute, think I left something in the chopper."

"Ach! Fine, I'll save a spot for you."

Gabriel waited a few beats as they all walked off.

"Come on, man, that was right there!" He said, turning on Jack.

"Gab, don't start," he sighed. His heart was hammering in his chest. He took a few deep breaths to calm it.

"You've been giving that chica the eye for how long?" Gabriel continued. "That was the perfect in, man! The perfect in! You and Ana, playing cards, next to Fareeha and Angela! Perfect!"

"I heard you the first time," Jack growled, grabbing his gear bag from the refueling helicopter.

"I'll keep repeating myself if you don't make a damn move," he said. "Single moms are the best; they're more concerned about their kids, and Ana _knows_ you're good with Fareeha! You've practically raised her for what, almost ten years?"

"Since we all made Overwatch."

"And every time I see you go for it, you choke!"

"Fareeha has memories of her father," Jack said. "I don't want to replace that man, neither to Ana nor to Fareeha. Especially to Fareeha. She deserves to remember the man who's her real father."

"Holy shit, all this self-righteousness is making me sick," Gabriel moaned. "Fuck man, if you don't make a move, I swear to God _I'll_ be the one to seal the deal."

Jack rounded on Gabriel, fury in his eyes.

"Whoa, alright—"

"Don't you _ever_ talk about Ana like that," Jack growled.

"Jesus man, I knew that crossed a line the second I said it."

"Then why did you say it?" Jack pressed, dropping his bag to take a step towards Gabriel.

"I'm just trying to get you to nut up and tell the woman you got feelings for her. I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't ever forget it."

"Jesus fuck, man, I said I was sorry," Gabriel said, this time holding his ground. "You've been working with her for eleven years. Eleven damn years. And you've practically been raising Fareeha since she was out of diapers, right? She's thirteen now, man. Take it from me, you partially _are_ her father."

Jack grabbed his bag and stormed off.

"Promise you'll say something, please," Gabriel called.

"Yea, I'll do that," Jack said. "I promise."

"Don't promise me, promise yourself!"

Jack dismissively waved Gabriel away.

 _Yea, I'll do that,_ he told himself. _Next time I see her. I promise._


	3. Chapter 3

**Present**

Ana sat across from me in the helicopter. It was so damn strange, seeing her again. It's been years since that mission went to absolute hell. Fucking Talon. They cost me my team, they cost me Ana. Well, I thought I did.

"Sir, we're coming into Gibraltar," the pilot said. "ETA fifteen minutes."

"Good."

Dammit, Ana had been quiet the whole flight back. I've been quiet, too. Dammit, old man, speak up, say something.

"What happened to you?"

Come on, you could do better.

But Ana looked up with her one eye. She looked tired, scared even.

"I met Amélie," she said.

" _Widowmaker_ ," I corrected with a growl. "Amélie is dead."

"No, she isn't."

"To me she is. To a lot of us, she is."

"Yes, she might as well be," Ana said. "You remember that mission, no?"

"Too damn well."

"That sniper, the one who cost us so many of our friends? _That_ was Amélie." Ana smiled sadly. "I actually had the best shot in my career. Ricocheted a bullet off a wall to hit her. Only it hit her face mask; it didn't kill her. I saw her, I froze. She didn't."

Ana pointed to her eye patch.

"The bullet punched through my scope. It's probably what saved my life. If it hit me straight on, or didn't tumble when it hit the scope, it would have blown my brains out. But it tumbled, and only took out my eye."

She pulled her hood back, and then her hair. There was a brutal scar on the right side of her head, just in front of her ear.

"Hell of an exit wound," I said.

"Made me wish I _was_ dead. But I see you've got a few wounds yourself," she smiled.

I ran my hand over my forehead. It's an old wound, but I felt self-conscious about it.

"A parting gift from Gab," I said. "You heard about how Swiss HQ got blasted? Got this there."

"I also heard you were dead."

"Looks like we both got something in common then, huh?"

"Too much," she agreed.

We both fell into silence. Dammit, keep talking to her.

"Why didn't you tell anyone you were alive?"

"Because of Talon," she said. "A group of civilians found me, dragged me to a doctor, saved my life. I was going to contact Overwatch, but I had a lot of time to think when I was recovering. If Talon could do that to Amélie, if they could take her and turn her into a cold-blooded murderer, they could do it to anyone. They could do it to Fareeha. I…I couldn't let that happen. If Talon thought I was dead, if _everyone_ thought I was dead, I hoped that they would leave Fareeha alone, let her grow up."

"She's in Overwatch now, you know," I said.

That got a reaction from Ana.

"She is in Overwatch?" She demanded. "But how? The call to regroup only went out a few days ago."

"You know she was an Overwatch baby," I said. "She had an old comm unit of yours; she couldn't part with any of the stuff you left her. So when the call went out, she heard it. She was the third one to show up. Dropped everything and came to Gibraltar."

"She…she always wanted to join, didn't she?" She stammered.

"Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not," Ana said. "I, I knew that I'd have to see Fareeha again, but not like this. Never like this. I thought I would have time; I'd be able to send word, a call maybe. I even wrote a letter to her. I don't want to suddenly show up, tell her that I'm alive."

"I'm sorry, but she'll probably be waiting for me when we get back," I said.

We both fell back into silence.

"Thank you for looking out for her all these years," Ana said.

"It's nothing. Really, it isn't."

"It is to me," she said, smiling.

Dammit, I missed that smile. Suddenly I couldn't think.

"W-what made you go to ground?" I stammered. "I mean, what _kept_ you playing dead all these years? There wasn't anyone you could tip off, without letting Talon get word?"

"Well, where have you been since you 'died?'"

Dammit, stop smiling. I can't concentrate.

"I've…done some digging."

"On?"

"Who had it in for Overwatch."

"So for all these years, you've kept everyone thinking you were dead; why? What made you throw yourself into your work?"

Because I had to find out who wanted us dead and out of the way. Because there wasn't anything left for me. Because I lost you, I lost Gab, I lost everything. Because there wasn't anything left for me.

God dammit, old man, speak up. Tell her.

But I couldn't. Fucking coward.

"That is what stayed 'dead,'" Ana said. "I did it to protect my daughter, my friends, but I also did it to avoid what I've lost."

"Might want to hold onto something," the pilot said. "Coming in for landing."

About damn time.

The helicopter barely bounced as the wheels touched down. It was a smooth landing. I pulled the door open and jumped out. More people were showing up and Gibraltar, more former Overwatch men and women. People I'd never thought I'd see again.

And waiting for us was Fareeha. She was out of her armor. Somehow she found an old Overwatch uniform.

"Jack," she said. She had her mother's smile. "Are you okay? I heard you assignment turned…"

She stopped as Ana stepped out of the helicopter. Seeing her mother alive and in the flesh obviously shocked her.

"Fareeha," Ana said, trying to smile. She switched Arabic, not English. She taught me some, but that was years ago; I was rusty at it.

"Mother?" I still remember that Arabic word. "Is…is that you?"

"I. I'm sorry, Fareeha, I had to make sure you were safe—"

She didn't get another word out. Fareeha turned and stormed away. Part of me was glad; if they kept talking, I wouldn't be able to keep up with them.

"Fareeha, please," Ana pleaded.

It fell on deaf ears.


	4. Chapter 4

**A Lifetime Ago**

Despite the endless efforts of the ventilation system, the training room stinks of dried sweat and mat burns. Thick mats line the entire floor and portions of the wall, with sparring dummies and handheld pads strewn about the room. Dulled, wooden training weapons lined the walls, hanging from racks. The room is empty but for two inhabitants. One is a teenage girl, the other a man.

Jack holds a thick pad against his side. Fareeha screams, lashing out. Her shout echoes off the walls, followed closely by the dull _whump_ of her kick hitting the pad.

"Ease up," Jack said. "You need to work on your form."

Fareeha kicks again, ignoring him. She hits the pad even harder.

"I said ease up," Jack says again. "Form first, power second."

"Shut, up!" Fareeha grunts, lashing out with all her might.

In the blink of an eye, Jack drops the pad and catches her kick. He wraps his arm around Fareeha's leg and holds her in place.

"You keep this up, you'll end up hurting yourself."

"Let go of me," Fareeha said, struggling to pull her leg free.

"You don't take your anger out on the bag; not without hurting yourself."

"I've been doing this since I was a girl! Let go of me."

"Are you going to ease up and not try to hurt yourself?"

Fareeha squirms, but Jack holds her tight. Try as she might, she can't pull her leg free.

"Fine," she mumbles.

"Fine what?" Jack pressed.

"I won't hurt myself," she hissed.

Jack gave her a hard look, but let her go.

"I know your angry, but you can't let your anger get the best of you," he said. "You need an outlet, you go run."

"Don't tell me what to do," Fareeha snapped.

"Don't you take that tone with me," Jack said. "I won't have you hurting yourself when your mother is away."

"And she's always away, isn't she?" Fareeha sneered. "Pretty nice for you, being able to boss me around all the time."

"Despite what you think, I don't like 'bossing you around,'" Jack said. "I'm just trying to make sure you don't go around picking fights with the other kids on base."

"He made fun of my mom," Fareeha grumbled. "Said she was a coward for being a sniper."

"You can't let that get to you. If they see a reaction from you, they'll just hound you for it."

Fareeha ignored him.

"Look, I know this is tough. We're all on active duty to some varying degree," Jack said. "It's stressful, but the world is a dangerous place; we're trying to make it better."

"I know that already," Fareeha said. "But does she have to volunteer so much?"

Jack brought the pad up. Fareeha wound up, ready to hit the bag for all she was worth. Jack glared at her, and for a split second, she hesitated. Fareeha went back to kicking it; this time, she held back.

"Much better," Jack said. "Your mother's got her own problem; she's good at what she does."

"That's a bad thing?" Fareeha asked, kicking the pad again.

"No, not really. But back in my day, before I help start Overwatch, we had a saying in the military; 'competency is its own punishment.'"

"Comp-a-tency?" Fareeha said, sounding the strange word out.

"That's right; it means being good at something. I'm glad your English is getting better."

"Have a lot of time to practice."

"That you do," he laughed. "If you show everyone that you're good at something, people are gonna go to you for help with that thing. That's why your mother is always being called away."

"What about you?" She asked.

"Well, I'm important enough that people can't bother me too much. My job also comes with a desk, not just a gun."

"I wish she'd get a desk. Maybe she can stay at base for more than a week."

"Your mother's doing a lot of good in this world," Jack said. "You should be proud."

"I _am_ proud," Fareeha said. She couldn't keep the exhaustion from her voice. "But she's out too much."

Jack opens his mouth to speak, but realizes that he's just trying to justify her mother's absence.

"Yea, active duty is stressful," he says eventually. "It'd be nice to have your mother around more."

"I'm glad that you're here, though," Fareeha says. She steps away, taking a breather. "It's nice to train with you."

"I'm glad I'm not the 'lame old guy' you're stuck with," Jack laughed.

"'Lame?'"

"Yea, lame."

"What's 'lame' mean?"

"Oh, come on, don't tell me kids these days don't use 'lame' anymore. Now I feel really old."

Jack spied a tiny grin on Fareeha's face. She tried burying it, but he had already spotted it.

"You're the worst," he groaned.

"I got you good," Fareeha laughed. "Got you to check your age!"

Jack hits her with the pad, but gently. Laughing, Fareeha easily kicks it away.

"Hello there!"

Fareeha and Jack look up. Angela is at the door of the training room, peering in. She doesn't step on the pads; she's still wearing outdoor shoes.

"The crisis has been resolved," she smiles. "Fareeha, your mother's coming back. And she's just fine."

"Thanks, Angela!" Fareeha beams.

"That's great," Jack says. "Come on, Fareeha, let's wrap this up and go welcome her back."

"I'll see you in the hanger," Angela says, smiling and waving before she closes the door.

"Why do you get to spend all the time with the pretty angel?" Fareeha says, pouting.

"She's an important part of the team," Jack said. "All medics are. Angela just takes it to a new level. She's terribly committed to helping everyone. That's her competency, and her punishment is being asked to help with every health risk under the sun. That's why she's here more often than not; someone always has to get patched up."

"I can't wait to join and work with her."

"Don't worry, you'll hit enlistment age sooner than you think."

"When I do, can I ask for help?"

"Kiddo, you got my advice any time you want it," Jack said, wrapping an arm around her. He made a big show of taking a whiff and pinching his nose shut. "And right now, my advice is to hit the showers. You stink something awful. Can't have your mother passing out when she gets back."

Fareeha punched him, but Jack was ready.

 _I'll talk to Ana when she gets back,_ he thinks. _Yea, it'll be a good time for it._


	5. Chapter 5

**Present**

Damn promises. You're a fucking coward, old man. You had all that time, and you never said anything. But she's back now; maybe now you can do something about it.

I walk through the old Gibraltar facility, looking for Angela. I was willing to bet that when Fareeha answered the call and beat a path back to Gibraltar, Angela must have been close by; they were close like that. Maybe I can ask her for some advice for an old coward like me.

Since her mother came back, Fareeha made herself real scarce, and I don't want to go snooping around and interrupt her with whatever she's doing. Kids need their space. Shit, after seeing the 'dead' come back to life, _anyone_ would need their space.

I found Angela in the old cafeteria, which is actually putting out hot food. The only thing really missing now in Reinhardt telling tall tales. It's feeling more like home by the second.

Angela is sitting at a table, nibbling on a snack. Fortunately, she's alone, so I don't have to butt into anything.

"Angela."

She looked up, and one of her radiant smiles lit up her face.

"Is that you, Jack?"

"In the flesh," I said. "This seat taken?"

"Not in the least. Have to say, you look good for a dead man."

"You know what they say about old soldiers," I chuckled, sitting down. "We never die, we just fade away. You seem to take my survival pretty well."

"Please. When news of a mysterious 'Soldier: 76' popped up, Fareeha and I knew who it was," she said. "Not everyone knows you as well as your old friends, which is a good thing when you're an internationally wanted vigilante."

"Yea, looking back, it wasn't a very convincing disguise," I said. "Still, it suited me."

"Quite."

"Speaking of coming back, have you heard about the other ghost that came back to life?"

"How could I not?" Angela said. "Ana, alive after all these years? Now _that_ is a shock."

"To everyone," I said. "Hey, you're…close to Fareeha, right?"

"That's one thing to call it," she smiled.

"Yea. So…"

How do you think Fareeha will take it if I finally make a move on Ana? What's the best way to make a move this late in the game? Come on, old man, talk.

"…How's Fareeha taking it?"

God dammit you old coward.

"About as well as you'd think she is."

"So not very well."

"Jack, her mother just showed up, out of the blue," she said. "Her mother, who she thought was dead for over a decade. How would you feel if your parents faked their death and came home one day? She feels betrayed, lied to, mislead. Anyone who had even a shred of compassion would feel the same way."

"Yea, figured it was a dumb question," I said. "Do…do you think she needs time alone? Shit, this is a pretty big thing to drop on anyone. Must be another dumb question; she'll need her space to come to terms with this."

"Please, there's no such thing as a dumb question," she smiled. "I know you've always been close to Fareeha. You're worried about her just as I am. And there are times that Fareeha needs her space, but I think that's not the best thing right now. She could really use someone to talk to."

"I don't want to interrupt anything she's doing."

"Jack, please, you're like a father to her."

"She already has a father. I don't want to ruin her memory of him."

"Oh, for the love of God, will you knock off all that stoic, brooding bullshit?" She snapped.

Shit. That made me to jump.

"If there's one thing about you that drives everyone crazy, it's that," Angela said. She had some fire in her eyes. "You care about Fareeha. I know it, you know it, she knows it, everyone knows it! You've been with her since she was a little girl, and right now, she needs that. She doesn't need me, she needs you to talk to. So stop trying to act like you and you alone have to bear the weight of the world. Knock that shit off and go talk to Fareeha."

She glared at me for a good ten seconds. Damned if I couldn't think of anything to say.

"What happened to the Mercy we all knew?"

"Oh, she's here," Angela said. "Sometimes people need mercy, sometimes they need a good slap in the face."

"Well, slap delivered."

"Good," she said, all smiles again. "This is something that would destroy a relationship between a mother and daughter. It would destroy _any_ relationship. Ana wants to be with her daughter; any mother would. And I know that Fareeha can't go on hating her mother any longer than this. So go help her, so she can enjoy having her mother back."

"Thanks, doc. Can't guarantee anything, but hopefully it'll be one big, happy family soon."

"Thank you, Jack," she said. "I can't stand seeing Fareeha angry like this. This kind of anger will only hurt her. That's a pain I can't stand to see her in, and it's something that I can't mend by myself."

"Well, that makes two of us," I said. "Where's she at?"

"She said she would be at the firing range, blowing off steam."

"Thanks again, doc."

"You're welcome. You can help her more than you realize, Jack."

I left the cafeteria, and I couldn't help but kick myself.

It was right there, old man. You could have asked her. It's not like she was Ana, you just needed some help an advice. Fucking coward. Well, I've had years of practice in breaking promises.

"Can't teach an old dog new tricks," I mumbled to myself as I made my way to the shooting range.


	6. Chapter 6

**A Lifetime Ago**

Fareeha stood ram-rod straight, fighting the urge to break down and cry. Jack stood next to her, his uniform crisp and his salute perfect; he was only betrayed by his pained, thousand-yard stare. Towering over them was Reinhardt, who made no effort to hide his tears. Behind them was nearly the entire Overwatch organization.

The stone marble statue of Ana was the size of Reinhardt, and lovingly rendered. It stood over a grave for Fareeha's mother, but in truth, it was an empty tomb. There was no body that was recovered from the warzone.

To their right, a command was barked out, and a line of seven riflemen snapped to attention, shouldering their rifles. Moving as one to the orders, they loaded the blank rounds, aimed, and fired. The first volley made Fareeha yelp and jump. The second volley merely made her flinch. For the third and final retort, she stood perfectly still, just as Jack did.

With the twenty-one gun salute finished, the rifle men and women brought their guns down to their side. A bugler stepped forward, and began playing a mournful 'Taps.' The sound echoing throughout the graveyard, bouncing off the rows and rows of headstones, sepulchers and mausoleums. Reinhardt was able to hold back a sob until the bugler finishes, but seems to make up for it once it finishes. Just hearing his chocked-back cry makes Fareeha's passive face nearly break.

The ceremony over, Reinhardt is the first to excuse himself. Others follow, but Jack stays with Fareeha. Angela walks over to Fareeha, giving her a reassuring hug.

"I'll be here whenever you need me, _Mutiger,_ " she promised.

"Thank you."

Well-wishers lined up, giving their support to the young woman. Jack remained by her, utterly impassive.

 _You_ fucking _coward. You should have said something. Anything. But you didn't, damn you._

Fareeha stood, accepting the condolences from the long line of friends and Overwatch family. It took a long time, but the last well-wisher finally departed, leaving Fareeha and Jack alone. She dried the few tears that were on her face.

"You keep holding all that in, you'll end up like me," Jack warned.

"I want to be like you."

"You don't."

"You're strong," Fareeha said. "You don't let anything get to you."

 _I'm a scared little man who couldn't even tell the woman I loved just how much I loved her._

"You have to know when it's okay to let things out," Jack said. "If you don't show any emotions, it'll end up destroying your soul."

Fareeha said nothing. She stared at the statue of her mother, trying not to cry.

"Fareeha, please," Jack said. "Prove to me you can still be human."

"With what?"

"With showing me that you can still feel," he said. "You're doing the same thing Gab is doing. Shit, that _I'm_ doing. You're holding things so deep that they burn you. You can't let that happen. You have to be better than that; better than me."

He sighed.

"I know you and your mother never saw eye-to-eye. She was always away, and you resented her for it…but you have to know that Ana loved you very much. She cared for you; shit, she still cares for you, wherever she is now.

"I was on active duty when my father passed. I couldn't get home for the funeral. I hated myself for not being there for my dad. When I did get back, my mother told me that I couldn't dwell on the past, on things that were done and not done. I had to move on, honor his memory, and not get stuck living in 'what-ifs' and 'I should haves.' That's no way to live."

 _That's right, you bastard. Ana's gone, and you never did anything about it. You made this bed, and now you get to sleep in it. You fucking coward._

"Please, don't hold this in. Don't let it burn you. Honor her, and don't let her memory drag you down."

Fareeha's façade cracked. Then the tears came. She collapsed, and Jack knelt by her. He held her until she was done.

* * *

Author's note: Mutiger ≈ 'brave one' in German.


	7. Chapter 7

**Present**

True to Angela's word, Fareeha was in the firing range, blowing up training bots with a damn rocket launcher. Well, if there was any way to let off some steam, it would be with some heavy ordinance.

I grabbed some throwaway ear protection and stepped into the range. A training bot took off, and Fareeha blew it away.

"Damn nice shot," I said.

She flinched, but only a little. It wasn't even a flinch; it was her almost swinging that damn rocket launcher around and blowing me away. They were good, strong reactions; a true soldier's reactions.

"Jack," she said, cracking the launcher open to reload it. "Are you here to tell me that having my mother back is a miracle?"

"It is, but I'm not here about that."

"Then you're here to tell me I should be glad that she's alive?"

"You should be, but that's still not it."

She set the launcher down and turned to me.

"Then you want me to _talk_ to her?"

"She's your mother, Fareeha. Back from the damn dead."

"So I'm just supposed to forgive her?" She demanded. "She pretended to be dead. She left me when I was still a girl, and I'm supposed to forgive her?"

"I don't remember saying that," I said. "Shit, you can't just up and 'forgive' that, but you still need to talk to her. She still loves you, Fareeha. You need to know that."

"I know that she abandoned me. The question is for what."

"For your safety."

Fareeha snorted.

"Yea, it's a lame line, I know," I mumbled.

"For my damn 'safety,'" she spat. "I'm an Overwatch baby. I was practically born on base. I was perfectly safe with them."

"And that didn't do a lick of good for Amélie now, did it?" That got Fareeha to pause. "You remember Amélie, don't you? Her name ring a bell? Or would you know her as Widowmaker?"

"I know who she is," Fareeha said. "How could I forget something like that?"

"Then you know why Ana was scared for you. If Talon didn't get to her then, they might have gotten her later by using you, just like how they did it with Amélie. Doesn't mean what she did was right; far from it. But you got to know that she still loved and cared for you."

Fareeha set down the extra rockets. She must have thoughts blowing through her mind at a hundred miles an hour.

"You're pissed; you got every right to be. But you have to know when it's okay to let things out."

I expected her to do or say a couple dozen things. Didn't expect her to chuckle.

"I remember you telling me that," she laughed.

"Oh?"

"Yes, when I was still a girl. I remember that, because it's what got me to talk to Angela."

"You could talk to her any time you wanted."

"No, to _talk_ to her," she said. "As more than a friend."

"Oh."

"God, I was nervous," she said with a smile. "I couldn't think straight. I wanted to just let it go, to keep watching her from a distance. But there you were, in the back of my mind, telling me when I had to let things out. So I talked to her, how beautiful she was, how I felt. And when she said she felt the same way…"

She shook her head, pushing the rockets away. I've seen her as an adult, physically, but now I actually saw her as a grown woman. She was better than me. She was finally better than me.

"I'm glad you found the guts to do that," I said. "That means you grew up to be better than me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just an old man; an old coward who missed his mark too many years ago."

"You? A coward?" Fareeha laughed. Dammit, not this shit again. I knew what was coming, and it still drove me nuts. "Jack, please, you're one of the most heroic men I've ever met."

I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't get pissed when people praised me for doing what anyone else would've done. But I was good at breaking promises to myself.

"I didn't do anything special," I growled.

"You're one of the founders of Overwatch. That's plenty special."

"Anyone else would have done the same thing in the same situation. Why does everyone want to heap all this praise on me and paint me as some big damn hero?"

"Because you _are_ a hero. How can you call yourself a coward?"

"I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times; there's no praise for doing what needed to be done." Dammit, all that shit is really driving me nuts.

"You helped beat back the Omnic threat!"

"Anyone else would have done it!"

"It was practically the world against Overwatch! They're still making movies about you!"

Damn this praise.

"If I was such a hero, I would've found the guts to tell your mother how I felt about her years ago," I snapped.

Holy shit. I never thought I'd…that caught me by surprise, more so than Fareeha. She stared at me, and I still couldn't believe I just fucking said that. Felt like I was burning up. I never thought I'd be telling this to Fareeha.

"You, you really mean…?"

"Y-yea, I do," I stammered. "Seeing her alive… it made me think of all the little promises I made to myself. All the ones I broke. When we buried her, I thought that was it, I blew every single damn chance I ever had. But seeing her alive…Oh, who am I kidding? I'm way too late to the game with this."

"Why didn't you tell her?"

"I told you, I'm a coward. Never got the nerve," I mumbled. "And I didn't want to ruin the memory of your father. It always felt like I was stepping on him in some way, that you or Ana had their own image of him that I couldn't measure up to."

"Jack."

"What?"

She motioned me to follow her. She walked to a locker, one that had an actual lock on it.

"You make yourself at home already?"

"Please, I'm an Overwatch baby. I grew up around here, remember?"

She opened the locker for me. Inside was a thin jacket, a small bag, and an assortment of knick-knacks. She really was at home already.

Then I saw the faded old picture she had hanging on the door. It was a kid's doodle, something a five year old might make. It had three people, a man, a woman, and a kid. The kid and the woman were drawn in brown crayon. Well, more scrawled out. It was a kid's drawing, after all.

Under them, scrawled out in broken, five-year-old handwriting were three names. I couldn't make heads or tails of it; my written Arabic was even worse than my spoken Arabic. Even if I was still up on it, I'm not sure I could read a five-year's-old writing.

But I didn't need to read the names. The man was drawn in something that looked like peach, and he had blonde hair. Son of a bitch, that was me.

"You always said I should remember my father," Fareeha said. I jumped as she hugged me. "I remember him just fine."

Son of a bitch.

"You…you still need to talk to your mom," I mumbled.

"I'm still angry at her," she said. Just hearing about her mom made her squeeze, like it was reflexive anger.

"You deserve to be. We all thought she was dead. Shit, you thought _I_ was dead. You should be pissed at me, too."

"Please, I knew you were never dead," she laughed.

"I was in a massive fucking explosion."

"And they never found you. I never believed you were dead; I couldn't. I couldn't believe my dad would die, just like that." Dammit, stop calling me that. I'll break up if you keep calling me that. "And when news reports of a mysterious 'Solder: 76' started popping up, I just knew it was you."

"Jesus, you and Angela would make great detectives. So will you talk to your mother?"

"Only if you tell her what you told me."

"Damn, kid."

"Well?"

"Fine, but it's way too damn late for me."

"Mother always said it's never too late for anything."

"Maybe."

Fareeha let me go. I felt a little better knowing my eyes weren't the only ones not dry.

"I…I want Angela with me," she said. "I'm not sure I can do it alone."

"I don't think anyone could go through this alone."

"Thanks. I'll be in the second floor common room."

"I'll go get your mother." Come on, old man. Get it together. "Don't forget to dog those rockets. Can't leave live ordinance out in the open."

"Yes, _dad_."

Shit. Come on, old man, hold it together. I wiped my eyes, ditched the ear protection and left the range. When we first came back, I set Ana up in one of the armories. A double-timed it through the base, and sure enough, she was still in the armory, cleaning her rifle.

No, cleaning was the wrong word. She had the rifle disassembled like she was cleaning it, but she was playing with some of the parts. She was just waiting for something to happen, just killing time.

"Ana."

She placed the component down and looked up at me. God dammit, she was still beautiful.

"Has Fareeha sent you?"

"Y-yea, she wants to talk to you."

"That's good," she said. "I was worried I'd be out in the cold for a much longer time."

"You're not out of the woods yet. I had to talk with her, but she agreed to talk to you."

"You always had a way with her," she smiled, standing up. "She cares a lot for you."

"I know."

Come on, old man. Say something. You told Fareeha, you can tell her. Fucking coward.

"Yes?" Ana said. Dammit, she was so close to me. Come on, find your nerve.

"I…I need to come clean."

"Oh?"

"I've…"

Fucking coward.

"When you died, it killed me. I thought I'd never have the chance to tell you how much you mean to me."

Ana's remaining eye opened at that.

"I'm just an old coward who never grew the nerve to say anything."

Ana's laugh made me jump.

"What's so funny?" I snapped.

"It's…it's just that…back then, being 'dead' and having gone to ground, it made me realize many things," Ana said, still laughing. "I missed Fareeha. I missed her like you would not believe. But as time wore on, I realized I was missing something else. I was missing my daughter, and you."

My heart caught in my throat.

"Seeing you with Fareeha, when she was growing up, it gave me hope for her. Hope that she would have a father again." She shook her head. "But I was too focused on raising her, on building Overwatch; our team and our friends. I was too focused on all the people we were sworn to protect…I was so focused on what I had, what needed to be protected, that I missed what I could have had."

"You mean…?"

"I've felt the same way about you, Jack," she smiled. "I wanted to tell you, when you had time to… _adjust_ to me being alive. It's not something that can be dropped on anyone all at once, not after a person comes back from the dead. But when you told me that Fareeha was here…what was that saying of yours? It 'threw a wrench in everything.' What I wanted, what I was planning for, it all changed."

"You feel the same way about me?" I couldn't believe it.

"Yes," she smiled. God dammit, was that not the most beautiful thing ever. She walked over to me and grabbed my hands. "Can an old coward forgive a blind old lady for missing what she should have seen all those years ago?"

"I don't think I could blame you for anything."

It took me by surprise when she hugged me. I never planned, never imagined, getting to this point, to actually tell her how I feel. I held onto her like my life depended on it.

"I'm glad one of us finally came clean," she said.

"I wish one of us knew what to do," I said. "We're too damn late with this to make any difference."

"It's never too late. I tell Fareeha that all the time. And who cares about plans? We're too old for it. We'll just make it up as we go."

"Now _that_ I'm good at."

I never wanted to let her go, but if she didn't get to Fareeha, she might never get her piece in, too.

"Come on, let's get to our daughter."

We walked through the base, hand in hand. It felt like I was on top of the fucking world; nothing could touch me. Bring it on, Talon. I'll break you in half without even trying.

Sure enough, Fareeha was waiting in the second floor common area. Angela was with her, to make sure she said her bit. With people still pouring into Overwatch, we had the place to ourselves.

"Mother," Fareeha said, getting up.

"Fareeha," Ana smiled. "Angela? It is great to see you. I'd love to talk, but there are a few things that I want to talk to my daughter about in private. Can we talk later?"

"I'm here with Fareeha," she said.

"I'm sorry?"

"Mother, there's something you should know about us," Fareeha said, taking Angela's hand. It made Ana pause for a second.

"You…you are…together?"

"We are," Fareeha said.

"You've know her since she was a girl," Ana said, staring daggers at Angela.

"We were both girls then," she said. "We are only five years apart."

"Mother, please, she makes me happy."

Ana glared at the both of them, then turned on me.

"What?" I asked.

"You cannot approve of this. Fareeha was a child when she met Angela!"

Aw, crap.

"Well…they _are_ happy together," I said lamely.

Ana went back to glaring at Angela. But she saw how they were holding hands, and her expression softened a little.

"If she makes you happy…then I am happy for you," she said to Fareeha. "But Angela? That. Is. My. Daughter. And after my daughter and I have words, I will have a few words with you. You better not cry for mercy, for you'll get none from me."

"That's okay," Angela said, flashing her radiant smile. "Your daughter cries for Mercy every night."

Oh damn.

I didn't know who was more red: Fareeha from blushing, or Ana from cursing. I held her back as she went into a full Arabic tilt. She was talking faster than I could make out. No, wait, she said 'cradle' and 'thief;' I know exactly what she's going on about.

"Ana, please," I said. "At least they had the courage to be honest with each other. They didn't have to wait a few decades like we did."

That got her to stop. But she was still glaring death at Angela with her one remaining eye.

"We will have a lot to talk about," she said tensely.

"I bet we will," Angela replied, all smiles.

"But first, I want to talk to my daughter. About why I left her. Why I abandoned her."

"Y-yes," Fareeha said, still blushing like she would burn up.

Ana squeezed my hand. It would be hard, but she had me. I'd keep her strong. I squeezed back as she started talking.

* * *

Author's note: Credit for the "Your daughter cries for Mercy" line goes to Yeh (leominimus . tumblr). Too good to not steal.


End file.
